Hi again! SunlitDarkness is here to continue the story! I don't know about any of you, but even I am getting irritated about my lack of updating. But alas, things happen and I haven't been able to write. But for those of you who care to know, after you read this chapter you are half way through the story. I intend to write two other chapters and an epilogue. So bear with me and I'm sorry if I make you cry. Well, not really, but the sentiment is nice right?

"You should probably do somezing ya?"

"He is just a kid. He's probably not able to deal with them on top of everything else he's going through."

And the rambling continued. Oh, this is irritating. Plotz had had it with those two. Hello Nurse and Dr. Scratchensniff had pestered him relentlessly to do something about the media the Warners had attracted. True, it was probably unfair for them. But on the other hand, it was satisfying to think of this as revenge. Let them be annoyed for once. He had already seen both Yakko and Dot yell at the reporters several times, pain and anguish distorting their features.

"ALL RIGHT! I've had it with the two of you blathering on about this!" Plotz yelled, leaping up on his desk with clenched fists. "Those Warners have made my life miserable, both on set and off. I believe that this is comparable repayment for what they've done to me."

Dr. Scratchensniff and Hello Nurse just stared at him, speechless. Hello Nurse tried to speak, her mouth opening and closing like a fish. However, words failed her, as they always did. She glared at the CEO, her mouth in a hard thin line and let her expression tell all. After she was sure Plotz had seen, she abruptly left. Scratchensniff looked after her, watching how anger made her movements stiff and lacking in the usual grace. The psychiatrist sighed and peeked at his employer. Negotiating would get him nowhere at this point, but Thaddeus Plotz was always susceptible to guilt.

"Alright, sir. If you zink zat," he conceded, turning to leave. "But ze Warners have always respected our right to mourn."

Plotz didn't look up again until the door had clicked shut. Do they deserve my respect? His anger drained away as he slumped into his high-backed chair. Dr. Scratchensniff's comment had stung deeply and irritated his pride. It had implied that Plotz was too much of a stickler to pay back a debt. That I'm the same as Scrooge. On top of the implication, there was the nature of the debt he was called to pay. They don't think I can do this. This debt wasn't something he could just throw money at and forget, but one of compassion, comfort, and long hours of fending off the media. And it wasn't just his; it was one that the entire studio owed the Warner brothers and the Warner sister. Formed as nearly every member of the studio had fallen upon heartache.

In his mind's eyes, he could clearly recall the incidences. The brothers standing solemnly on guard while Dot had comforted Skippy when it had finally hit home that his parents weren't coming back. Later, she had traded places with Wakko so that he could help Montana Max face neglect head on. All the siblings had consoled Batman on numerous occasions, too many to count really. It had truly been noticeable when they'd helped Hello Nurse. The Warners had abandoned their natures, in order to fight off insensitive reporters and then to simply stand watch when she sobbed at the lost of her father. There were others, too. Instances where respect and compassion were dealt out. So many that his mind ached from the weight of it all.

Plotz sighed yet again. If it were his choice, the two remaining Warner siblings would deal with this themselves. But it wasn't personal choice here, never had been. The choice had to be the best for the studio. In fact, the very ground of the studio seemed to scream at him to pay back the Warners. It was business.

He spun the chair around to look out the window as he reached for the phone. Lifting the receiver to his ear, he dialed absentmindedly.

"Ralph, meet me at the water tower."


"Yakko! Can you tell us about Wakko's casket?"

"NO! Tell us if the studio is covering the cost of your stay at the hospital!"

Plotz tried to ignore the reporters standing around him. They yelled question after question, only stopping to write down a question and answer when either Warner decided to reply. He looked up to where Yakko leaned against the railing. The toon was cross and exhausted; his replies, if he gave one, were mean and clipped. Maybe I did let this go a bit longer than necessary.

"Yakko! We need to know this!" one reporter shrieked at Yakko, who tipped his head slightly in their direction. "You have to tell us, was this all just a desperate ploy for attention that went horribly awry?"

Plotz reacted at the same time, but in a different manner than the teenager on the tower rail. Yakko had stiffened, his face turned a menacing red, and then he had growled.

"NOOO! Do you think I'm some sort of monster?! Cause I'm not. But try looking in the mirror sometime," Yakko hissed at them. Casting one last glare downward, he slammed the tower door shut, effectively sealing himself in.

The CEO, on the other hand, felt as if he had been slapped. Yakko would never endanger his siblings. Ever. He waved frantically at Ralph. He wanted to get this over with quickly. Get the media gone, say something slightly personal to Yakko and Dot, and then get the heck out of there incase anybody might happen to see his good deed. Yeah, that was the plan.

"D'awlright now. I thinks that it's time for you media peoples to be going. Come on, da gate is right over dere." The large bodyguard herded the reporters away, chatting at them like they were small, stupid animals, like puppies. Some of them complained about losing the opportunity. How every other reporter in town would be getting the story when they wouldn't. "N'aw, it can't be all that bad," Ralph smiled at them. "All de other reporters are leaving too. You're not missing nothing." He continued to herd the media towards the gate, and Plotz steeled himself for stage two of the plan.

He didn't like heights and probably never would, but Plotz decided to be somewhat decent and visit the Warner siblings in the tower, instead of making them come down. That could definitely cause problems, especially after seeing Yakko lose his composure like that. His revenge on me wouldn't be pretty. The Warners have learned from the best after all. The CEO started climbing the long ladder upwards, the metal clanging in complaint at his weight. There were reasons why Plotz had only been up the tower a few times, his physical stature being one of them. He groaned when he saw that he was but halfway up. How does everybody else do this? It should be illegal for the tower to be this tall.


Thaddeus Plotz wasn't a brave man, but at this moment, he sure felt like one. He had just climbed the obscenely tall ladder up the tower, muttering words of a similar nature, it could be said, and was now about to face an unstable teenage toon. What could possibly be wrong with this picture? Everything, and it needed to change.

Plotz sighed and rapped on the shield-shaped door. It echoed eerily, and he almost left his plan in the dust. Not even the rash courage he felt would calm his nerves.

"You're not allowed up here, you twisted, lying gossips! You're not getting any 'special interviews'!" someone hollered at through the door.

"Yakko," he yelled back, "It is your CEO and I go where I please!"

"Well, you clearly want in, and the door isn't locked. So what are you waiting for oh high and mighty CEO?" the voice called again.

"Some sign that I'm not about to get my head ripped off," Plotz grumbled softly as he pushed open the door.

The interior of the tower was bright and cheerful looking, but Yakko's brooding form ruined the effect. The oldest Warner was semi sprawled across their couch. He looks sick almost, Plotz noticed. But then again, some of the things they asked would have made anyone sick. Trying to stall, the CEO looked in wonder at the layout of the tower around him. It always amazed him how large the tower actually was on the inside. One could easily hide in the vastness, something the Warners generally did when Plotz came to call. Thus, not surprisingly, Dot was nowhere to be seen.
"Why are you here? You don't come to the tower for anything, Plotz." Yakko voiced, bringing Plotz back to his mission.

Just stick with the plan. "Well, Yakko," Plotz tried to smile in a semi-endearing manner, "I just wanted to come and ask how you were doing. You know, make sure you were doing okay."

Yakko glared at the CEO. Not his usual, comically bored glare, but the one that said, 'you just crossed a line.' See, this is why I don't smile at him. Yakko tried to stand, but the red cast on his leg gave him difficulty. He got halfway up and then he'd tipped back over. Almost angry now, Yakko forcefully shoved himself to his feet.

"How am I doing?" Yakko pulled the short man nose to nose with himself, "Well let's look at this then." Yakko's voice rose and Plotz tried not to gasp as the boy's fists twisted the fabric of his shirt collar. "How am I doing today? Well, my leg is broken, Dot's been crying all morning, My Brother is DEAD, and ehh. I'm forgetting something… oh, wait. IT'S ALL MY FAULT! JUST HOW DO YOU THINK I'M DOING?!" Yakko's face was flushed and he was breathing hard.

Plotz arched his back, trying to put as much distance between his face and Yakko's bared teeth as humanly possible. As he moved, though, something soft brushed against his jaw. Warily, he flicked his gaze down, fully prepared to dismiss whatever it was; but when he saw it, the CEO felt a tidal wave of sorrow course through him. For twisted in Yakko's clenched hands against his skin was a floppy, red cap. There was only on of those.

"I understand that Yakko," Plotz stated, easing out of the boy's grip. "But I thought you might like to know that you won't be bothered by reporters again until you chose to speak with them."

"Like I will ever be ready," Yakko said, the color slowly leaving his face. He let his fall limply to his sides, but he continued to hold tightly to Wakko's hat. "I didn't want to yell at you," the teenager hesitated, "I don't know what to do, Plotz."

The CEO panicked slightly. He wasn't used to being asked for advice. Well, not sincere advice anyways. But Yakko was looking at him hopefully, his dark eyes searching for an answer. "You need to keep going Yakko. For yourself and for Dot. You're not meant to be sad and depressed like this. Now, of course, I could stand to have you be a little less irritating than you were before…"

Plotz's lecturing was cut short by Yakko planting a sloppy kiss in the middle of his forehead. The short man stared in disgust at the boy, but Yakko pretended in his obvious way to have done absolutely nothing. Yes, things would be different now that Wakko was gone, but if the mischief returning to Yakko's eyes was any indication, then the Warner siblings would definitely make it through this in one piece.